Jesus Has A Contract Out On You

How many of you love to read contracts or “terms and conditions?” Most of us don’t pull out the most recent contract we have signed and read over the terms and conditions do we?

Do you have a problem sleeping? I encourage you to go find your mortgage contract and read it tonight or perhaps the contract you signed when you purchased your last vehicle. Fun reading huh? I don’t think there will be a cliff hanger in the middle that makes you want to move on to the next page (that might seem like the next chapter) right?

In London, a security firm launched an experiment to see how few people actually read their contracts. An internet company agreed to include what they called “ A Herod clause” in the contract.

What they did was provide a lengthy list of terms and conditions that offered up free WI-FI in exchange for permanent ownership of the user’s firstborn child. Almost everyone signed off.

Do you know why? They didn’t read the contract.

As a matter of fact a recent study revealed that only 1% of people read “Terms and Conditions” in their contracts.

This evidently happens a lot in the UK, another company in on April Fool’s day a few years ago did something similar; they had shoppers sign a contract that read that they were signing away their immortal souls.

Explanation:

Do you know that the phrase “New Testament” means “New Contract”? That being said, “How much attention have you given to the terms and conditions of God’s contract for your salvation?”

That’s right: God has terms and conditions that relate to your immortal soul.

In Hebrews 8 we read about that contract. It is interesting that Jesus talked about that contract the night before He died. He said:

“In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. I Corinthians 11:25-26

Do you know what that means? It means that God loves us so much that He took out a contract on you. Today, I want to read to you the terms and conditions of that contract.

Transitional Sentence: Hebrews 8 provides the fine print about those terms and conditions. As we read this passage we learn several things about the contract. We learn:

I. Who Administers the Contract

vs. 1-6- “Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, not man.

Explanation:

In Hebrews 8 we are introduced to something Jesus did for us. He established a “covenant” to provide salvation for us. ‘

Now understand, the “covenant” is an agreement but it is different than ordinary contracts.

In an ordinary contract you and I make an agreement. We sit down and draw up an agreement that is based on me doing what I promise in the agreement, as well as, you doing your part in the agreement. If either of us fail to keep the terms of the contract; there’s problems.

In other words, if you do your part and I do my part, the contract stays in place but if either one of us fails to do our part; the contract is nullified and voided.

Yet, the contract that Jesus offers to us is different; that’s why Jesus called it: “A New Covenant.”

Prior to Jesus going to the cross; He said “A new covenant “ was being established. The word Greek word used for “Covenant” in Hebrews chapter 7 is a word that literally was used in Jesus’ day to describe: “A Last Will and Testament.”

Therefore, the best way to understand the contract or covenant that Jesus made with us before He died was like a Last Will and Testament. It was something He was giving to us as a type of contract that His death would provide for us.

So, in some of Jesus last words before His death; he basically spoke to each of us (that will become children of God by faith in his finished work) of what would be ours due to His death.

In Hebrews 8 we are told that Jesus has taken on two major roles since He returned to heaven:

1) He is our High Priest- We learned about that in Hebrews 7

2) He is also the administrator of the New Covenant - He administers His own Will.

In I Timothy 2:56 says: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Jesus Christ.” HE MEDIATES HIS OWN WILL.